MMUUS AWARD RECIPIENTS

Following is a list of all those who have received some type of an award from May Memorial from 1955-2005. Thus far, research into the church's archival records have not found mention of anyone receiving an annual award prior to 1955. Certainly there were people who received various types of awards or were honored in some way, but they appeared to have been ad hoc in nature. Some people were honored with busts, plaques, stained glass windows, naming honors, or other means and these will be summarized later in various ways. Research continues to identify the names of all award winners and honorees.

Annual Award Recipients

1955 Alice Jordan 1975 Mary Margaret Kuhlen 1956 Elizabeth Lewis 1976 Joyce Ball Dr. Marion Dooley 1977 Mr. and Mrs. Carl Aronson 1957 Dr. and Mrs. Reginald Manwell 1978 Gerald Lanier Dr. William Yerington Kathryn Lanier 1958 Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Vincent 1979 Beverly and Malcolm Clark Helen Hackton 1980 Helen Obrist 1959 Mrs. James Tracy 1981 Ann and Richard Pearson Ernest Bowden 1982 Jean Hoefer Mary Slagle 1983 Pauline Murray 1960 Mrs. Clarence Bull 1984 Eleanor Rosebrugh 1961 Mrs. Lawrence Gould 1985 Ernie Sibert Frank Macomber 1986 Anne and Mel Shelly 1962 Helen Eager 1987 Bob and Norma Coye William and Doris McLennan 1988 Dick and Greta Dershimer 1963 Elizabeth (Betty) Siegfried 1989 Pat and Ray Corson Judith Viets 1990 Doug and Geri Aird Brainard and Natalie Faucher Mildred Capozzi 1964 Dr. and Mrs. Warren Walsh 1991 Janet Hiemstra 1965 Carlyle and Dorothy Ashley 1992 Phil Klein 1966 Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Kharas 1993 Charles and Dorothy Jorgensen 1967 Helen MacKnight 1994 Henry Manwell Robert and Vera Beadel 1995 Rev. Nicholas C. Cardell, Jr. 1968 Mr. and Mrs. John Chamberlin 1996 Nan and Howard Gartner Dr. Lawrence Gould 1997 Don MacKay 1969 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson 1998 Peter McClure The May Memorial Choir 1999 Joyce and Gary Droege 1970 Mary Cooper 2000 Karen West 1971 Prof. and Mrs. Montague Charma 2001 Alice Chico 1972 Robert and Mary Burdick 2002 Julie Daniel and Kevin King 1973 Mrs. Albert Wertheimer 2003 Diane Hainsworth Charles White 2004 Barbara Mihalas 1974 Betty Moore 2005 Mariah Dillon

Page 1 1

Samuel Joseph May Citations for Community Action Award Recipients /'1 (Not Awarded Every Year) 1967 Eleanor Rosebrugh 1969 Don and Barbara Rumsey 1991992 Pat Rector 1970 George Michaels 1991993 Deborah Pillsbury 1973 Daniel Ellsberg 1991994 Richard and Sarah Lucas 1974 Sarah K. Auchincloss 1991996 Hospice of Central New York 1983 Charlotte and Sam Mallov 1991997 Ed Kinane 1985 Elaine Learch 1991998 School of the Americas Affinity 1986 Ann Tiffany Group: Nick Cardell, Jr., Dan Sage, 1987 Lillian Reiner Doris Sage, Megan Rice, 1988 Dick Cressey and Ann Herman 1989 Beth Broadway 1991999 Linda Belletier 1990 Planned Parenthood of Syracuse 2002000 Mary Zimmer and the Religious Coalition for 2002001 Dick Weiskopf Abortion Rights 2002002 Karen Mihalyi

Evelyn White Unsune Hero Award Recipients

1978 Alfred Obrist 1992 Jack Osborne 1979 Harriette Robinson 1993 Muriel Kirkpatrick 1980 Betsy Fuller 1994 Charles White 1981 Hildegarde Vander Sluis 1995 Alice Chico 1982 Robin Sibert 1996 Duane Hardy 1983 John Capozzi 1997 Linda Wobus 1984 Cathy Cardell 1998 Peter Colman 1985 Joanne Ashley 1999 David Ashley 1986 Mary-Lib Whitney 2000 Jeff Lamicela 1987 Carol Lanier 2001 Ginny Jones 1988 Don MacKay 2002 Peggy Ryfun 1989 Jane McArthur 2003 Nancy Pease 1990 Chris Shultz 2004 Ellen Fuller 1991 Bill and Lyn Coyle 2005 Peter McClure Mary-Lib Whitney Award for Special Contributions to Religious Education

1991-1992 Mary Lib Whitney 199 1998-1999 Bill Kates and Kath Haendle 199 1999-2000 Theresa Brigandi 1992-1993 Elberta Gardner, Lisa Obrist, 2000-2001 Lee Ann McKinney and Ken Pease 2001-2002 Joy Casey 1993-1994 Pete Haendle and Ellyn Lentz 2002-2003 Annegret Schubert 1994-1995 Julie Daniel and Evan Longo 1995-1996 Linda Wobus 2003-2004 Jackie Clarke 1996-1997 B. J. Newsome Rubel and Melissa Cohen 1997-1998 Kevin King 2004-2005 Stephanie Cross and Jessica Bellini

Page 2 THE 167TH ANNUAL MEETING OF MAY MEMORIAL UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY JUNE 5, 2005

Call to Order: President Barbara Mihalas Opening Words-Barbara Mihalas Adoption of Agenda Minutes of 2004 Annual Meeting-PASSED Special Announcements: Joe Cleveland and Dana Cook from the Folkus Project • Expressed gratitude for donated space at MMUUS for the past three years • Donations from concessions sold at these concerts have come to $839 • Folkus bought a portable stage and has donated it to MMUUS. It consists of 4 panels, which will be stored at MMUUS in the cloakroom ^^,,,,^^, rr^ • In gratitude and friendship, Folkuses a year -end donation of $500 to MMUUS Reverend John N. Marsh will start work at MMUUS August 1 , 2005. He will conduct a summer service on August 21, 2005.

Annual Reports (see included reports) The RE report was read in its entirety by Annegret Schubert. The President's report was read in its entirety by Barbara Mihalas.

DRE Search Committee Janet Hiemstra--chair-representing previous RE leadership experience Jackie Clarke-representing the RE Council/Committee Mariah Dillon-representing the interests of youthtteens Therese Hogle-representing the Board of Trustees Chris Schultz-representing the RE parents

Elections 1. Michael Stafford-Hill proposed suspending the constitutional rule requiring a one month interval between announcement of candidate list and elections, as finalization of the lists was delayed due to the Constitutional vote on May 22. Jill Evans seconded the motion. PASSED unanimously. 2. Ellen Fuller requested the slate for the Board, the RE Council and the Nominating Committee to be read: Board-President: Barbara Mihalas, Vice President: Michael Stafford-Hill, Secretary: Diane Hainsworth. No new Board members elected. Remaining members: Alexa Carter, Mary Fulton, Therese Hogle, Bill Snyder, and Linda Wobus.

Page 3 RE Council/Committee-Julie Daniel, Jackie Clarke and Chris Shultz for two year terms Nominating Committee-Peter Colman , Janet Hiemstra, Mardie Ninno, Ken Pease, and Steve Ransford. 3. Election . No nominations from the floor. PASSED unanimously.

New Business 1 Proposed Operating Budget for 2005-2006 presented by Dean Crawford (see attached). Projection for $31,186 deficit, to be covered by the Capital Fund. Questions from Floor n Stephanie Cross-Why did the DRE salary go down? Answer: The position went from 3/4 time to 1 /2 time n Mary Burdick-Why was there such a big increase for the Parish Minister and so much less for staff? Answer: MMUUS is following the new UUA recommended guidelines for ministerial compensation. These represent a new way of payment, since previously, the ministers were responsible for managing all their own benefits, not the church. These changes are being experienced nation-wide, reflecting cost-of-living , and the cost of benefits, which include retirement. This is seen as addressing a grave burden experienced by previous retiring clergy. n Mary Burdick-Where is Jerry King's compensation in this new budget? Answer: Jerry King's fees were not budgeted. They were charged to Finance and Canvass and will not be a continuing item. He has already returned to help organize next year's Stewardship schedule, helping us go to a 12-month Stewardship program. • MaryLouise Edwards-Why is the proposed Youth Coordinator not listed as staff? Answer., That is usually paid as an hourly cost, like The Childcare Coordinator. Why is there such a large amount of money for Board Programming? Answer: The Board has never previously had much of a budget, but it was decided that there should be funds available to support leadership training and workshops, and consultants, if needed. n Nancy Pease-are we trying to bring our other staff up to par according to UUA guidelines?

Page 4 Answer: We will be looking at that. It will most likely be addressed in next year 's budget. Rev. Mary H-T commentary: All Interims aspire to raise all staff salaries . She encouraged Nancy and other leaders to pursue clarification of salary categories using the UUA guidelines. n Vicky Schipper-How will we be paying for the new computer network? Answer: That is a Capital Fund item that has already been approved. n Ken Howland-Social Justice is under-represented in this Budget. Answer by Ellen Fuller: There is a draft budget and a draft annual report from the SJC that will be available.

Vote on Operating Fund PASSED unanimously. Amendment to Operating Fund: Add $800 to RE supplies PASSED unanimously

2. Capital Fund-computer upgrade (approximately $5,000). This-will include new network, new software, several computers, and a wireless connection. OON Questions: Nan Gartner-will all the equipment be new? Answer: We'll go with new as much as possible. Andy Tripp-thinks $5000 is too low Answer: We already have much of the software, so we will not have that expense. Bob Burdick-hopes replacing the small copier will be considered. Answer: it will. Mariah Dillon-What if the air conditioning fails? Answer. The Board of Trustees always has the prerogative to approve emergency purchases. Question: What about the Pavilion? Answer. That is a line item in the Operating Budget-5-223 Andy Tripp-4 propose increasing the Capital Fund allotment to $6000 for office infrastructure. Response: Malcolm Clark stated that we can get a new copier at SAMS for approx. $500 and pay for our own paper. Currently we have a contract with John Ecklund to maintain both copiers for $500 per year. Janet Hiemstra-Is $5000 or $6000 a better figure? Response: Mal Clark-thinks we can do better than go Higher. Linda Wobus: Call the Question on Andy's proposal to raise the

Page 5 Upper limit of the Capital Fund/computer upgrade to $6000. PASSED.

Vote on $6000 for the Capital Expense Fund: Opposed-one In favor-PASSED Presentation of Awards 1. Unsung Hero Award-Peter McClure, introduced by Malcolm Clark 2. Annual Award 2005-Mariah Dillon, introduced by Michael Stafford-Hill

Installation of Elected Persons

Announcement Zoe Rohde, our church administrator, will be retiring, effective June 21, 2005. Her last day is June 10. We will be looking for a Temporary Office Administrator for the summer and will do the permanent search when Reverend John Marsh comes in order to have his participation in the hiring. Rev. Marsh will be supervising the Office Administrator.

Adjournment. 8:45 PM

Respectfully Submitted,

Diane S. Hainsworth, Secretary

Page 6 President of the Board Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

From the point of view of the Board President, it has been a wonderful, positive, forward- looking year. It has been a privilege and pleasure to work in partnership this year with the "executive team," Interim Minister John N. Marsh, Vice President Michael Stafford-Hill; Secretary Diane Hainsworth; Trustees at Large Alexa Carter, Mary Fulton, Therese Hogle, Bill Snyder and Linda Wobus and Treasurers Andy Tripp and Bill Haynes. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to work with the other members of our wonderful staff, DRE Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, Music Director Glenn Kime, Bookkeeper Leslie Dendy and successive Office Administrators Ross Valenti and Karen Love. I thank all members and friends for the many kinds of important contributions you have made to the present and future of our community. At the start of the current year, we had hired Rev. John Marsh as our Interim Minister for a two-year period. We were in the process of search for a Director of Religious Education. A change in our constitution reduced the size of the Board so much that we needed no new members. The Council of Program Committee Chairs had begun meeting. The budget had gone from an anticipated $50,000 deficit to an actual $500 surplus. The budget for the upcoming fiscal year projected a much smaller deficit, thanks in large measure to the encouragement, training and leadership of Jerry King, the WA consultant who worked with us in the spring of 2005. The Annual Meeting was held on June 19, 2005: The proposed operating budget was approved with an $800 addition for RE supplies. The proposed Capital Fund budget was increased and approved, with $6000 allocated for computer system upgrades. A surprise gift of $500 was gratefully received from FOLKUS. At the Board retreat in August, goals for the year focused on continuing the work on clarifying roles and strengthening the governance structure. We discussed developing a Board Covenant that would describe how we want to work together. We noted the need for the Society to work on a shared mission and a congregational covenant. Another important topic was the revitalization of the Adult Education program. Over the summer, we ordered four well-equipped Dell computers and new networking and peripheral equipment. After we hired Ross Valenti as Office Administrator in early September, he took on the task of configuring the computers and the wireless network. We now are so accustomed to computers that don't hang or break down we have forgotten what it used to be like. A new Member Database was installed and configured, and is nearly completely populated, thanks to heroic efforts of members of the congregation. In August, MMUUS hired Jennifer Hamlin-Navias as Acting Director of Religious Education; she is continuing with a contract for the next two years as regular (not acting) Director of Religious Education. Jennifer came to us with a multi-faceted background. She is an ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ, has extensive experience with children's theater and has been involved in many different roles in Church life. Jennifer has been a most welcome addition to the May Memorial community.

Page 7 President of the Board Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Office Administrator Ross Valenti, with his high-level computer skills, was with us from the time Zoe Rohde left in June 2005 until early March 2006. Ross's energy and good humor are infectious and we are fortunate that when he took a software programming job he and his wife Britt became members of May Memorial. Our new Office Administrator Karen Love brings a wonderful, outgoing personality, a much-needed penchant for organization and a great ability to multitask. Our beloved Child Care Supervisor Bryony Grealish finally was unable to fit us into her busy work schedule any more. She was replaced recently by Amanda Hopkins, a teacher with extensive background in working with children. May Memorial expanded the size and significantly increased the scope of the Personnel and Public Relations Committees and created a year-round Stewardship Committee. Under Roger Hiemstra's leadership a very active History Committee was created and has taken on an extensive historical archive project. Roger applied for and was awarded a grant from the Universalist Association to support some of the archival and history work. Andy Tripp was appointed one-year Operating Fund Treasurer and Bill Haynes was appointed Treasurer of the Capital and Endowment funds. Harsey Leonard was approved as the new chair of the Social Justice Committee. Andy will be leaving this coming summer to attend Seminary at Boston University. At the end of the year, we still need to fill leadership positions in Finance, Adult Education and Denominational Affairs. We need to replace chairs of Worship, Building and Grounds and Membership Committees, whose chairs resigned to take on other responsibilities. This was the year we selected and charged the Ministerial Search Committee. In accord with our Constitution, the Board defined the process. The Nominating Committee did yeoman service gathering information from the congregation and selecting an outstanding seven-member committee. The Annual Report includes reports from both the Nominating Committee and the Ministerial Search Committee. The Council of Committee Chairs has become the Program Council, with its own Annual Report. It has taken on a significant role in the running of May Memorial, assuming important responsibilities for program oversight and for communication among committees that used to reside largely with the Board of Trustees via its former committee liaison function. The Program Council operates as a planning and communication hub for the program committees and other committees such as Public Relations that support their activities. It is also the body that creates the overview Calendar for the year. We can expect an ongoing process over perhaps years of defining what duties will be the purview of the Program Council and what will be those of the Board of Trustees in this new symbiotic relationship. The Board has been working with the committee chairs on updating the committee descriptions in the Operating Manual. Many of the descriptions of committee charters and accountability were out of date, and the Board saw this as the right time to make sure

Page 8 President of the Board Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006 that the current set of committees covers all our needs without serious overlap. In other policy work, we have not in the past had an adequately defined process for handling grievances, conflicts or potential conflicts between members or groups in the congregation and members of the staff. The Board has been considering how best to approach this need, and it remains a work in progress. Our annual operating budgets have increased markedly over the past two years, as we brought MMUUS into full compliance with the IJUA Fair Compensation guidelines. While doing this, we also moved from serious budget deficit to a nearly balanced budget, which was a huge accomplishment. We had highly successful fundraising efforts this year, thanks to the organizing skills and efforts several of our members. The success of the fundraisers has been measured in enthusiastic involvement of many members and friends of the community as well as in financial proceeds. On October 22 there was an International dinner. November 17-19 was the gala weekend of the Fine Craft sale, which netted over $5200. Members were offered an opportunity to order Christmas gifts from a Fair Trade catalog. On May 6, 2006 we held the Goods and Services Auction, and with help, contributions and purchases from a many in the congregation; it made over $5400. Additional smaller fundraisers including a contra dance party and others brought the total fundraising income to over $14,000. Involvement of MMUUS and the Board with the SLUUD District and the IJIIA has greatly increased in the last two years. This year May Memorial hosted the District Music Assembly and a Conflict Resolution Seminar led by District Consultant Jeanne Crane; about 30 members interested in leadership attended the workshop. Members involved in leadership participated in Eagles, Our Whole Life training, and the District Board Leadership workshop. Several members and John Marsh participated in an initial meeting of leaders from the local group of UU Churches. The Minister and Board Presidents of the local group have continued meeting monthly, with other members occasionally attending meetings. A Green Sanctuary task force was formed, under the leadership of David Ashley. It has written a resolution proposing the formation of a standing Green Sanctuary committee, with a defined set of responsibilities. A congregational discussion meeting was held and the attendees have fulfilled the conditions necessary for a vote on the resolution at the Annual Meeting. Gas and Electric utility bills went sky-high in the coldest winter months, prompting a renewal of investigation into better insulation of the building walls and roof and examination of other measures that could make it more energy efficient, such as changing the configuration of the downstairs hot air ducts and changing to more energy-efficient furnaces. The Building and Grounds Committee began talking with contractors about proposals for a future project of re-roofing all but the sanctuary and adding a layer of roof insulation at the same time. An energy audit has already been done and we anticipate that the new

Page 9 President of the Board Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Board, the Building and Grounds committee and others will review it in the near future as one of the available resources.

The Board developed the following Covenant to guide our work together. This is a good ending for my report and for the year. It represents the spirit in which we have in fact been working together and the spirit that we believe is important to share with the congregation. We the Board of Trustees of May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society covenant:

1. To support each other in our endeavors to uphold the society's constitution and to affirm and promote its mission

2. To work in partnership with the minister

3. To complete our tasks in a timely manner

4. To share disagreements candidly within the board, and support the board in communicating with the congregation as a united body

5. To create a safe climate that encourages frank and direct civil discussions

6. To maintain confidentiality while communicating regularly with the congregation

7. To assume goodwill while resolving conflict by finding areas of agreement and using denominational resources as needed

8. To respect our time commitments to both the Board and to our personal lives

9. To be a responsible steward of the society's resources and to promote a culture of generosity

10. To be a regular participant at Sunday morning activities

Respectively Submitted, Barbara W. Mihalas, President

Page 10 Interim Minister Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

May Memorial is nearing the completion of its second year of Interim Ministry. The Rev. Scott Tayler resigned as Settled Minister in the Spring of 2004 to begin a co-ministry with his wife, the Rev. Kaaren Anderson, in Rochester. The first year of interim ministry here was accomplished by the Rev. Mary Hnottavange-Telleen who helped the congregation make use of outside resources, especially in the area of stewardship and conflict resolution. I will have one more year of interim ministry here. If all goes well you will call your next settled minister in the late spring of 2007.

This has been a year of listening, discernment, and re-investment. Last August the first project I became involved in was the polishing of the copper doors with Mariah Dillon and Michael Stafford-Hill. The doors, magnificent in themselves, serve as something of an indicator of the big picture. They are among the first things that visitors and returning members see as they approach the building and cross the threshold. People have different ideas about how they should be maintained. I have heard that they should be kept bright as a new copper penny, allowed to mellow into a burnished sunset glow, allowed to darken completely, replaced with glass doors, or that we should have a glass extension of the building to provide a well-insulated entrance protected from the elements. Many of these suggestions have merit. My message has been that while we may not want to make any permanent decisions at this time, neither should we neglect the doors in the interim.

The good news about the finances at May Memorial is that after predicting deficits for the past two years, the congregation has operated with its income matching its expenses. This has been accomplished without reaching into endowment capital or receiving any bequests. Last year the congregation raised the salary of the parish minister position to meet the guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Association and this next year it will raise the salaries of the Music Director, Director of Religious Education, Bookkeeper, and Office Administrator. These are bold investments in our community. The word of concern here is that we are again projecting a deficit for the year ahead, and many of the lay volunteer leaders in finance have served many years and are ready to let others take on some of the necessary tasks. Many thanks to Andrew Tripp who has served as treasurer and who will be departing Syracuse for theological school this fall.

Amid the good feelings of this year there has also been some concern about conflicts that have not been fully resolved and may yet present challenges. The congregation had a workshop on Conflict Resolution in May and will have an evening session to review feelings on the history of this congregation (both recent and far back) in late September. The board adopted its own covenant of behavior this year and next year's board will consider proposing a similar covenant for the entire congregation.

There are also concerns about the long-term maintenance needs of the building and the need for a financial plan to take care of the maintenance. The Board of Trustees, the Building and Grounds Committee, and the about to be created Green Sanctuary

Page I1 Interim Minister Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Committee will all be attending to this situation and there may be a need to call on outside resources as well.

Many thanks to my Interim Ministry Committee: Linda Wobus, Fred Fiske and Don MacKay. Our monthly meetings have been a source of inspiration, ideas and wisdom. And I have been introduced to some great restaurants.

It has been a great pleasure to work with the staff here at May Memorial: Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, Glenn Kime, Ross Valenti, Karen Day and Leslie Dendy have all contributed to the life of the congregation in ways over and above job requirements. We have been fortunate to have had few emergencies this year, however when situations have arisen, our staff has always done whatever needed doing. It is good to be part of such an accomplished team.

Thanks and appreciation to the outgoing chairs of different committees: Mariah Dillon from Building and Grounds, Julie Daniel and Annegret Schubert from Religious Education, Ellen Fuller who resigned from Social Justice mid-year, and Alice Chico from the Worship Committee.

Thanks and appreciation to outgoing Board President Barbara Mihalas and other outgoing board members: Diane Hainsworth, Alexa Carter, Andrew Tripp, Bill Snyder, and Linda Wobus.

Thanks and appreciation to all who agreed to serve on the Search Committee. Please give them your full support as they go about their work.

Thanks and appreciation to each and every one of you for the warm welcome you have given me and my family and even my dog. I will be happy to report to any candidate for the settled ministry here that May Memorial is a congregation that appreciates its leadership and knows how to throw a good party.

Thanks and appreciation to each and every one of you for all of the myriad contributions you make to the life of this congregation.

As a benediction for this year I offer the words of Jean Vanier, a French Catholic Priest who leads a school for children with special needs:

Community is the place where all the ...anger, jealousy and rivalry hidden in our hearts are revealed In community we discover the conflicts that exist within each one of us. There is the conflict between the values of the world and the values of community, between togetherness and independence. We face the conflict between caring for people and caring only for ourselves, and we discover that really caring for the growth and freedom of other people means sacrificing our own freedom.

Page 12 Interim Minister Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

In community, we put up with all that is jostling, disappointing and disconcerting because we have had enough of loneliness, independence, competition, powerlessness and despair.

Community must never exist for its own sake, but for the sake of its mission. The promise is (unattainably) great. That is our hope, that God is doing the impossible: changing death to life inside each of us, and that perhaps, through our community, each one of us can be agents in the world of this transformation of brokenness into wholeness, and of death into life.

So may it be with us,

John N. Marsh

OON

Page 13 Director of Religious Education Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

I am pleased to report that the Religious Education program is in good health and spirits. This has been a year of transitions for the program, and people here at May have pitched in and turned the corner. I started the year running, with just a few weeks from the time of my hire to when RE programming began. It's all a bit of a blur now but there were many meetings, planning sessions, folks pitching in and getting the work done. And we got the program started! The First day of RE programming was September 18a'. None of that could have been done without the help of a wonderful RE committee; Julie Daniels and Annegret Schubert as chairs, Jackie Clarke, Joy Casey, Stephanie Cross, Mary Louise Edwards, Carroll Grant, Rob Neimeier, and Chris Shultz. They have been supportive and patient. They have been very open about answering questions, offering suggestions and helping out. It has been an exciting year (or almost a year) for me as I have both gotten to know May Memorial as community and the world of Unitarian Universalism. It has been a time of opening myself to new people and new ways of thinking about education programs within a religious community. It has been a time of learning new terms and what they mean within this community; intergen, cons, BOT, operating manual, empowerment, GAYT, REACH, LREDA, UUSC, CLF, to name a few. The terms may be different or the same words may be used differently but community is community. And the education program is about creating a community for our children and youth where they can be nurtured spiritually. In the midst of all this we have had a year where the children have raised approximately 175.00 dollars in their Sunday collection during their worship service. They will decide what service project they want to give this to at their annual meeting on June 4s'. The children have committed themselves to bringing food donations and personal care donation for two different food Pantries, one at The United Baptist Church and one at Plymouth Congregational, UCC. In the RE program we saw in increase in registration and attendance from about 32 children participating to about 40 regular participants. That is a 25% increase. And as much as I am here each week organizing curriculum and supplies this vital program of May's could not happen without the many, many hours of service and love that our RE guides give to our children. This year we have had many volunteers and each and every one of us should thank them for what they have given. The guides for this year are: Lillian Ackerman, Judy Antoine, Kenel Antoine, Joan Applebaum, Nuriyah Bon&- Owens, Joy Casey, Jackie Clarke, Maria Czerwinski, Mike Dillon, Fred Fiske, Betsy Fuller, Carroll Grant, Steve Harris, Frank Healy, Jeanne Healy, Mark Longo, Kristine Martin, Rob Neimeier, Jennifer Newman, Carrie Pitzrick, Rick Puente, Chris Shultz, Robyn Valentino, Deborah Wilson-Allam, Ruth Yanai, Sharon Zuis THANK YOU Respectfully submitted, Jennifer Hamlin-Navias

Page 14 Nominating Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Members of the Nominating Committee are elected by the congregation for one-year terms. This year the committee has been comprised of Peter Colman, Janet Hiemstra, Mardie Ninno, Ken Pease, and Steve Ransford. The committee has worked by consensus in an efficient and productive manner.

In October 2005, the Board asked the Nominating Committee to produce a slate of seven members to serve as the Ministerial Search Committee. At Rev. John Marsh's suggestion, the Nominating Committee (with help from some Board members) attempted to contact all MMUUS members for suggestions as to potential search committee members. The Nominating Committee reviewed the results of this telephone canvass and recruited a slate that is highly respected: When the membership of the proposed search committee was announced in church, there was spontaneous applause. The congregation, with only one dissenting vote, approved the slate.

In February we began work on selection of slates for the 2006-2007 Board of Trustees and Nominating Committee. We accomplished this work in a manner that assures both continuity in leadership and development of new leadership.

This is a good opportunity for the Nominating Committee to thank those of you who have agreed to serve on the Search Committee, on the Board as trustees and as officers, and on next year's Nominating Committee. Your work will take time away from your other interests, but the congregation will thrive under your leadership.

The Nominating Committee has been criticized in the past for not selecting enough younger members of the church for leadership positions. You won't hear this criticism from the younger members whom we did contact this year, most of whom felt unable to accept nomination offers because of their deep time commitments to their families or employers. The congregation needs the contributions of these younger members, who should expect to be asked again to take leadership roles. We are all in this together. Working together on church business is a rewarding multigenerational experience.

Respectfully Submitted Peter Colman, chair

P%

Page 15 Search Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Members of the Ministerial Search Committee are: Alice Chico, chair, Kenel Antoine, Ed Blakeslee, Alexa Carter, Nancy Pease, Vicky Schipper, and Linda Wobus.

The Search Committee has been meeting regularly since we were elected. We have held a get-to-know-you/get organized daylong retreat , ably facilitated by Sarah Clavez and an informational meeting with our settlement representative, Rev. Howard Dana.

Our subcommittees are working to create a congregational profile , prior to creating a packet of information about MMUUS that can be shared with prospective candidates.

Cottage meetings to discuss issues relevant to the congregational survey, as well as other interviews and discussions, are in process

There is a Search committee bulletin board outside the social ball with information about our progress, including a time line.

General information about the Search process, as well as the UUA Settlement Handbook, can be viewed at www.uua.org/programsministrv.

We are looking forward to having a settled Minister at this time, next year.

Respectfully Submitted,

Alice Chico, Chair, Search Committee

Page 16 Building and Grounds Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Building and Grounds Committee Members: Doug Aird Mariah Dillon (Chair) Don Mackay Bob Rohde Remo Bianco Michael Stafford-Hill Dale Sherman

Building and Grounds Auxiliary Members: Randy Case Charlie Hannah John Marsh

The year started out with a call from the Onondaga Historical Association to receive a large marble tablet that was being cleared out of a downtown storage building. The 9' x 3' x 4" thick tablet was a commemorative inscription to Samuel Joseph May that had hung in the James Street Unitarian Church in 1885. The slab is in three pieces and plans for its exhibit are under consideration by B&G, Memorial Garden, and the Archivist committees.

Our hot water heater developed a major leak, flooding the furnace room and requiring an emergency expenditure for a new unit - installed in August 2005. The file cabinets in the furnace room were relocated to a more appropriate location, the finance room. Our new Interim Minister requested bright, shiny, copper doors for opening Sunday. Extensive testing and experimentation was performed before the project was begun. Plans are in place to do it again this summer.

Bill Snyder once again donated our Christmas tree which B&G set-up with gratefully received emergency support from Joel Hastings and other choir members. A large carpet was donated and its placement (or exchange) are under consideration. An outlet extension was installed in the kitchen enabling users to plug-in hotplates without kneeling on the floor to find the outlet. John Marsh donated a microwave oven when the existing one expired. Doug Aird repaired a potentially dangerous oven issue. A new custodial service is scheduled to start on June 1, 2006. The recycling effort at MMUUS continues to lack an administrator. Finally, the problem of leaking around the cupola has become serious, impacting our organ console. Repairs to the cupola are currently being scheduled.

Maintenance Items Completed: • New Light fixtures installed in the upstairs rest rooms • Emergency Lights installed in the Sanctuary and hallway • Burnt-out Light Bulb Replacement • Door Closure Repair • Bee and Ant eviction Projects Underway: • Additional Bridge Repairs • Sanctuary Safety Enhancements • Front Door Refurbishment

Respectfully Submitted, Mariah Dillon, Building and Grounds Chair

Page 17 Finance Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Members of the Finance Committee this year are Andrew Tripp, Operating Fund Treasurer, Bill Haynes, Capital and Endowment Fund Treasurer, Malcolm Clark and Diane Hainsworth with Peter McClure and Dean Crawford acting as occasional consultants . Bookkeeper Leslie Dandy attends all the meetings. This fiscal reality of this year exists as a Unitarian Universalist Miracle . The planned deficit budget of $35,000 will end up as a surplus of something between five and ten thousand dollars. Primarily this was due to under spending and the lower then budgeted wages for the office administrator position and the huge success of our fundraising events. Finance established, primarily through the efforts of Bill Haynes , a clear capital and endowment fund policy and separated the funds into investment mechanisms that better reflect the mission and purpose of the funds. Signatures were updated to bring the capital and endowment funds to be useable by the board and current operating fund and capital/endowment fund treasurers. The new database has not yet been fully implemented but Malcolm Clark and Leslie Dandy are working on bringing it online. Thanks need to be given to Janet Hiemstra for helping by entering all the family information into the database. The success of fundraising this year brought in over fourteen thousand dollars. Diane Hainsworth was instrumental in organizing the holiday fine craft fair and the silent auction with thanks going to all the many people who filled key but often thankless roles like cashiering the craft sale, setting up the refreshments, and performing the setup and tear down before and after the events.

Respectfully Submitted Andrew Tripp, Operating Fund Treasurer

Page 18 Personnel Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

The Personnel Committee re-formed this year with three members, Peter Colman, Mariah Dillon and Barbara Mihalas. Peter Colman and Barbara Mihalas have shared the position of committee chair. The Personnel Committee worked with each new employee and with John Marsh to develop a contract or letter of agreement, which was then sent to the Board of Trustees for review and approval. The Personnel Committee also worked with the Board and Minister and any relevant committees to update job descriptions. Bookkeeper Leslie Dendy and the Personnel Committee worked with each new employee to assist the employee in signing up for employee benefits. This year was a busy one for staff changes. When the year began, May Memorial had already signed a two-year contract with Interim Minister John Marsh, whose term of employment actually began on August 1, 2005. May Memorial hired Rev. Jennifer Hamlin-Navias as half-time Acting Director of Religious Education in August of 2005. In May of 2006 the Personnel Committee recommended and the Board approved a new contract with Jennifer for two years as half- time Director of Religious Education (no longer "acting"). Our long-time Office Administrator Zoe Rohde left in June 2005. The Board approved hiring Ross Valenti effective September 12, 2005. In early March 2006, Ross was offered and accepted an excellent job computer programming. The Personnel Committee advertised the position immediately and received about 30 applications. All applications were read thoroughly by the three members of the committee and by Rev John Marsh. The committee and John interviewed the top six candidates and hired Karen Love, effective March 22, 2006. In the fall, the Personnel Committee had a meeting with each of our remaining long-time employees, Director of Music Glenn Kime and Bookkeeper Leslie Dendy. The purpose of the meetings was to provide an opportunity to discuss with staff how their job was going, what if any problems they had and find out whether there was any area in which the Personnel Committee could advocate for them. The Committee discovered that such meetings, which should be routine, had not occurred for many years. The Committee believes that meetings of this sort are important and should continue on a yearly basis. The Personnel Committee is looking at the model UUA Personnel Policy Manual. It plans to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees for updating the current Personnel Policy in the Operating Manual to make it more complete and up to date. The Personnel Committee also worked on evaluating the implications of the WA fair compensation policy that provides guidance for all staff salary and benefits and the Committee recommended that UUA guidelines be followed for all staff. The Finance Committee and Board of Trustees also reviewed the fair compensation policy thoroughly and followed it in developing the budget recommendation for fiscal 2006-2007. Respectively Submitted, MMUUS Personnel Committee

Page 19 Public Relations Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

This past spring, the Public Relations Committee was reorganized from the former Publicity Committee. The members are Bob Burdick, Fred Fiske, Anton Ninno, Rick Puente and Bob Schutz, who manages the website. Frank Healy initially chaired the committee and made valuable contributions, but has had to resign for personal reasons. The name change from Publicity to Public Relations committee reflects an expansion of our role from publicizing special events to facilitating all communications, both within the congregation and with the community at large. Aspects include the MMUUS website, newsletter, program brochures, signage, advertising, and establishing procedures for strengthening our communications. Our goals are: • Overhaul the website so it more effectively communicates to members and attracts potential members. New features will include an interactive calendar and downloadable audio recordings (podcasts) of sermons. We hope to have the new site up by September, when ministerial candidates will be starting to form their impressions of us. • Create and publicize a long-term events calendar. Contact the chairs of each event and determine what promotional support they might require. • Review the communication materials distributed by the membership committee and work with them to present our best face to potential members. • Connect with members and potential members by improving our bulletin boards, implementing a lobby display, and making better use of outdoor signage. • More consistently and effectively communicate our values and vitality to the outside community.

There's a lot to do, and it will require the time and skills of many volunteers. We welcome all who are interested, especially those with expertise in public relations, newsletter editing, advertising, or website development.

Respectfully Submitted,

The MMUUS Public Relations Committee

Page 20 Program Council Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society n June 4, 2006

The Program Council is one year old this month The 2005-2006 church year is the first year of the new, or renewed Program Council, for there have been other councils in May's history. The present Program Council was created by the congregation through changes made to the constitution last year. Its purpose is to facilitate programming and to lighten and complement the workload of a smaller Board of Trustees that is more focused on policy and other executive functions. The council is made up of the chairs of the programming committees and the meetings allow the committees to coordinate their work face to face. The council met seven times this year. In the first meeting the entire church calendar was blocked out. Subsequent meetings filled in the gaps, and conflicts between events were happily kept to a minimum. The typical meeting consisted of a series of reports where each committee representative gave news of their committee's work, received responses and answered questions. The board representative (council chair) gave a board report and received requests from committees for board action (e.g. approve a fundraiser for new hymnals). Issues that arose requiring more discussion were addressed after reports. Decisions that needed to be rendered by the council were of relatively minor issues ("childcare for these events.. .not those"). Thorough discussion of less immediate issues, however, was nearly impossible, for meetings were long, with more than one lasting over three hours. The idea of staggering RE and worship schedules for instance, was only broached. It is my recommendation that next year the council' s meetings be more frequent and of shorter duration. Most of the work is event planning and timeliness is key. More frequent meetings may enable the council to address larger issues . Regular monthly meetings may also help encourage more congregational participation at meetings. I've received many favorable comments from members concerning the program council this year, and I feel that, as informational forum and as an aide to committee cooperation, it must be judged a large success. The possibilities for the council to take a hand in developing and directing programming are yet to be fully explored and developed.

Respectfully submitted, Michael Stafford-Hill, Program Council chair

Page 21 Care Ring Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

It has been a quiet year for the CareRing. This committee has not been very active. We have had our share of serious illness, and many cards and some visits were made to some of our stay at home members.

In the future our hopes would be to increase communication and also ask the congregation what to expect from the CareRing. We hope to try again the "parish nursing" as we did this year, by having lectures on health issues and tying to keep track of personal health. We are also trying to start a contact list of personal loved ones to be notified (MMUUS) should there be an emergency.

As in the past, we hope the future will mean more communication.

Again, thanks to everyone who gives support and care to our community.

Respectfully Submitted, Peggy Ryfun and Hildergarde Vandersluis- co-chairs

Page 22 History Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006 Although considerable MMUUS historical preservation activities took place up until the mid-90s, most activities stopped by 1998. Current activities did not begin in earnest until late fall, 2005, when I was given authority to begin work as volunteer church archivist Thus, this report represents only about 7 months of involvement by me and members of the History Committee. An ongoing portrayal of many of the subsequent activities can be found at http://www-distance.svr.edu/archives2005-2006.html.

New York State Convention of Universalises A proposal for funding to assist with our preservation activities was submitted in December. We were awarded a one-year grant of $3200 in February, 2006. The primary objectives of that grant are to better preserve the material stored at MMUUS, prepare additional material for submission to Syracuse University, develop procedures for future collection and preservation of historical material, repair and mounting of the Sam May marble tablet, and spreading the word about our church history.

History Committee A history committee comprised of George Adams, June Card, Mary Louise Edwards, Frank Healy, Roger Hiemstra, and Harsey Leonard was formed in March. We have met twice, developed a description of committee responsibilities for the operating manual, assumed various work responsibilities, and begun work on these tasks. June Card, who was involved with archival activities in the mid-nineties, is providing invaluable advice and support.

Preservations Activities All historical material has been moved from the furnace and memorial rooms to locked file cabinets or on top of them in the computer room. Inventorying and organizational activities are underway by George Adams and Mary Louise Edwards, as well as the digitization of various media sources by Harsey Leonard. We also are identifying the location of additional historical material in the church building and other places. A number of preservation materials/supplies have been purchased. I have received some training in preservation techniques, will train other committee members relative to what I have learned, and we will begin improved preservation activities over the next several months. In addition, an organizational database for identifying and locating the various historical material is being developed by Frank Healy.

Digitization Activities An important process has been determining various ways to digitize our historical information for long-term storage. For example, Bob Burdick digitally photographed the entire membership book. I have digitally photographed selected material stored at Syracuse University, experimented with scanning for OCR or PDF file conversion selected historical material, and placed some digitized material on the Web. I also digitized and placed on the Web material created in the 1970s by the Central New York Genealogy Society that involved copying, indexing, and typing material on the first hundred years ( 1838-1937) of May Memorial membership. We also have begun the process of interviewing and digitally recording past and current church members with a long-term institutional memory of MMUUS. Finally, I have begun digitizing and adding to the Web various other information related to our ministers, church leaders, award winners, church buildings, and supporting documents. See http://www.nmuus.orp/si mav/ , httt ://www-distance.syr.edu/archives2005-2006.html , and httn://www- distance.svr.edu/simulationpage.html for a display of such efforts. Irene Blakeslee is digitizing a master's thesis about Sam May that will be added to his web page. Web Page Efforts Page 23 History Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006 In 2002, at the request of Rev. Scott Taylor, I developed a web page on Sam May (http://www. mmuus.orglsimav/). Since November I have created additional material for that page and it is being added soon. I also created considerable material related to the history of the church that eventually will be incorporated within our regular church web page. It temporarily can be viewed at http://www-distance.sx. edu/simulationyage.html . It is our intent to continue adding historical material to our web page as a means for preservation, providing information to interested scholars, and interesting current and prospective members on the value of MMUUS history to the community and region. For example, I recently learned about two sermons on Sam May, each delivered around the country by Rev. Rick Davis, UU minister in Salem, Oregon. He is sending them to me for inclusion on our web page. As Rick said to me in a recent email: "I think he is one of the great souls in our heritage and unjustly neglected."

Improving Awareness A number of activities have been initiated or are being planned to enhance awareness about MMUUS' interesting history. • Material is now published in our newsletter under a "Marvelous History Corner" heading, three history displays were shown in the Social Hall (January, February, and March) after a Sunday Service, with more anticipated later or a permanent display area created • Information on past MMUUS presidents and various annual award winners is being displayed temporarily on a church bulletin board (permanent displays for this information and photos of past ministers are planned for the near future) • I presented information on Sam May and our archival efforts at the annual St. Lawrence Assembly held April 28-29 in Geneva, NY - I will be presenting more information on our preservation efforts at the New York State Convention of Universalists annual conference in Albany this coming October • Information regarding our various historical collections will be disseminated later this year to potential scholars in seminaries, university departments of religion, and others who might be interested in carrying out historical research related to MMUUS

Our Needs Although considerable activity has taken place during the past several months, much more needs to be done to ensure we understand our history, preserve it, and prepare for future preservations efforts. In that regard, we need help. Some of this work can be done in only a very few hours. The reward is pure satisfaction. Consider volunteering! Here are some of those needs: 1. Word processing various documents intended for digital preservation and/or placement on the web page, including membership information from 1938-2005 (see http://www- distance.syr.edu/memberslst100yrs.html for the first 100 years) 2. Interviewing with a digital tape recorder current and past long-term MMUUS members regarding their church memories 3. Help with selected historical preservation activities 4. Carry out historical scholarship related to MMUUS and create newsletter articles, church stories, or scholarly articles. Respectfully submitted, Rog Hiemstra, Archivist

Page 24 Hospitality Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

The Hospitality committee currently consists of Randy Archambault, Michael Dillon, Nancy Pease, and Sue Savion.

The hospitality committee has been active in a variety of functions this past year:

Organized the Opening Sunday Lunch

Planned and prepared the Fall Indian Dinner

Helped the Music and Arts Committee with Special Coffee Hours

Planned and served a Soup and Salad Supper between the two Christmas Eve Services

Helped with Food for the Saint Lawrence District Music Conference

Helped organize hors d'oeuvres for the Stewardship Kickoff Dinner

Telephoned members to requenst that they bring snacks for the Goods and Services Auction

Respectfully Submitted, Randy Archambault, chair

r

Page 25 Membership Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

First I would like to thank the dedicated members of this committee. They deserve great credit for our accomplishments this year. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them; Ginny Jones, Kevin King, Ike Loveridge-Sambonmatsu, Mardie Ninno, Peggy Ryfiin and Vicky Schipper.

We continued to staff the Welcome Table each week. We made personal follow-up calls to visitors. Brochures were ordered and those we produced were updated. We continued to offer W 101, a monthly informational meeting for visitors. It was not, however, as well attended this year as in the past. We had two joining ceremonies with a total of 11 new members. Rev. Marsh instituted a series of three pre joining classes. Although we have taken a similar approach in the past, it has been many years since we've done so. The classes were consistently attended and well received. We prepared and served breakfast to new members after they had joined.

We were consulted in the updating of the database. It will need to be determined how it will be maintained and whose responsibility it will be. I suggest a small committee consisting of at least one representative from Membership and one representative who has access to financial records. We continued to coordinate with Stewardship, which is also beneficial for both committees.

The Program Council has suggested that we forge a joint effort to improve integration of new members. This has long been a concern of our committee. We reviewed the Constitution and Operating Manual with regard to Membership responsibilities and submitted suggestions for wording and procedural clarifications.

I have informed my committee members that I am resigning at the end of this church year as Chair of the Membership Committee. This has been a rewarding experience. I am most grateful for their support. None of our present members is able to take over this responsibility. As the Board explores new committee chairs, I am willing to offer my help in making the transition, but am also willing to let someone new determine their own direction. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve in this capacity.

Respectfiilly submitted, Lee Ann McKinney Membership Committee Chair

Page 26 Memorial Garden Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 Pp May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Committee Members: Randy Archambault; Ed Blakeslee; Mary Burdick; Jill Evans, Chair; Robert Rohde.

Submissions to the Board of Trustees : The Committee presented a revised Operating Manual description of the Committee responsibilities; a revised Memorial Garden Guidelines with assistance from attorney Peter Colman, Esq.; a suggested cost for rental of the pavilion/garden space; a request for line item funding for fiscal year 2006-2007 of $1,000.

Work on the pavilion continued with the installation of the electrical work by a licensed electrical contractor and committee member Ed Blakeslee and his wife Irene. The repair of the patio, walkway and grounds will take place during this current growing season.

A ramp will be installed at the pavilion with assistance from Dale Sherman, member of the Building and Grounds Committee. While the ramp does not have to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act criteria, it will reflect the best aspects of that design effort. Finishing the pavilion is the goal of the Committee during the next fiscal year.

An additional task came to us in the form of the marble tablet that was acquired when the Onondaga Historical Society asked MMUUS to take it back. The tablet is a Sam May treasure presenting some unusual issues of size, weight and required ongoing care. With assistance from Roger Hiemstra, Historian, and considerable Committee thought, it has been decided to mount the tablet outside on the western side of the building where it will be protected from the elements by the structural overhang. The cost of this installation will be covered by a grant received from the Universalist Convention of NYS. Ongoing care of the tablet will be the responsibility of the Memorial Garden Committee.

Respectfully Submitted, The Memorial Garden Committee

Page 27 Music and Arts Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Committee Members for the 2005-06 year were Nancy Pease, Chair, Glenn Kime, Mary Burdick, Betsy Fuller, Carolyn Pace, Judy Thomas, and Linda Wobus. The Music and Arts Committee raised $1958.04 from MMUUS members for the purchase of new UUA hymnal supplements Singing The Journey. The BOT and the Finance Committee approved a special hymnal fund into which donations were placed. Contributions to the hymnal fund were also made by the Rev. John Marsh, the Music Budget and the Music and Arts Committee Budget. MMUUS now has enough hymnal supplements for the Choir and the congregation. The Music and Arts Committee sponsored five Sunday Serenades. These were informal concerts held in the church Sanctuary following church services. They were well attended by an average of 50 congregation members at each. Artists presenting these Serenades were Glenn Kime, Chris Dranchek with Patricia DeAngelis, Nancy Pease with John Harnois, Joe Cleveland with Dana Cooke, and a wide variety of MMUUS member musicians and composers. Nearly all of the artists donated their talent at these concerts. Special refreshments were served at coffee hour between the services and the Sunday Serenades and, occasionally, a lunch was served The Music and Arts Committee hopes to offer more Sunday Serenades next year. Once again, the Music and Arts Committee sponsored May Memorial Loves The Arts during the month of February. Members of MMUUS hung their artwork on the walls of our Social Hall/gallery while others shared their musical compositions and performances in our Sanctuary. The Music and Arts Committee facilitated the collection of donations to Signature Syracuse, Inc. during and after the spring Music Service on May 7. Signature Syracuse, Inc., directed by Dick Ford, provides music instruction and instruments to students in the city of Syracuse who would not otherwise be able to afford such music education. Signature Syracuse is sensitive to the needs of children growing up in the inner city and shows this sensitivity by providing meals, transportation, and other forms of support along with music instruction. Contributions to Signature Syracuse, Inc. topped $500.00! The Music and Arts Committee also provided support at the St. Lawrence District Music Conference that was held in our church on April 8. This outstanding daylong conference was the first of its kind for SLUUD. It was so successful, that SLUUD musicians now hope to have such conferences annually. Beyond our District involvement, the Music and Arts Committee has enrolled MMUUS as a congregational member of the UU Musicians Network.

Respectfully Submitted, MMUUS Music and Arts Committee

A"N

Page 28 Religious Education Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Respectfully submitted by: Annegret Schubert

During the 2005-2006 church year, the following persons were members of the MMUUS RE committee: Joy Casey, Jackie Clarke, Stephanie Cross, Julie Daniel, Mary Louise Edwards, Carroll Grant, Rob Neimeier, Annegret Schubert, and Chris Shultz. Each member attended to various portfolios, such as special programming, nursery, registration, teens, RE space, children's worship, special needs, Just Sundays, Coming of Age, curriculum, OWL, etc. This means that each member was available to assist Jennifer in the specified areas. Almost all RE committee members volunteered as guides or yoga instructors for the children. Julie Daniel and Annegret Schubert have been co- chairs of the RE committee during this church year.

In this year of transition from the RE Council to the RE Committee, the membership of the new RE committee has remained stable, with between 5 and 8 committee members reporting to monthly meetings and committee members being available to Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, our Director of Religious Education.

The committee has mainly functioned to support our Acting Director of Religious Education, Jennifer Hamlin Navias, in carrying out her many tasks. Jennifer began our work for MMUUS on August 1'71h, 2005, and has worked well within our current RE structures and programs. Jennifer has attended a variety of UUA sponsored DRE training. events, affording her an opportunity to become more familiar with the structures and functions of Religious Education within UU churches. We are currently in process of gathering feedback from parents, children, and guides about the RE program. We are also re-evaluating our portfolio support structure and adjusting / changing portfolios in order to meet the needs of a new DRE and a changing MMUUS community.

Jennifer Hamlin-Navias has been charged with responsibility for the RE programs for children up to 8th grade. The RE committee, at this point, when there is no local Youth Adult Committee, also represents the Senior High Youth. Our teen group, under the caring and supportive tutelage of Julie Hosmer and Rachel Wood, has begun to stabilize again this year, with most members being freshmen in High School. Most professional support has come from our minister, John Marsh. A recent community wide conversation about youth programming demonstrated that, while the current supports for the teen group are excellent in comparison to the recent past, we need to be looking toward expanding supports for the teen group and making sure that opportunities for connection between the teen group and the larger community are nurtured.

Relationships between the BOT and the RE committee appear to have improved, as the issues of contention became moot points with the arrival of a DRE . Relationships between the "upstairs" and "downstairs" communities also appear to be on an upswing, as both, our current minister and our DRE are actively engaging both segments of MMUUS and seeking to connect the two. Further exploration and development of this

Page 29 Religious Education Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society •./ June 4, 2006 connection remains a big goal of the RE committee. A conversation with the whole congregation, initiated by our minister, John Marsh, demonstrated that all of those present cherish the connections among adults and children and want to seek ways to teach our children UU values and principles through meaningful experiences in their RE programs.

The RE committee has been active on the Program council - another venue for connecting the adult and children's communities. Our hope is that more concrete connections, e.g. between Social Justice committee and RE, will flourish in the years to come.

Childcare has continued to be available for church functions at MMUUS. The RE committee has been very grateful to have Bryony Grealish provide quality childcare for us for the past 2-3 years. She has recently been replaced by an equally competent provider, Amanda Hopkins.

We are grateful for a good year, with growing attendance, under the competent guidance of Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, and look forward to the near future, as Jennifer will continue to work with the children and families of MMUUS. "Od

Page 30 Social Justice Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Active Members: Ellen Fuller Ike Sanbonmatsu Doug Igelsrud Daniel Sage Harsey Leonard Doris Sage Vicky Schipper Mary Zimmer Rick Olanoff

LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS: Early in the year a survey of the congregation was taken. Survey results indicated that addressing poverty issues was the highest priority. It was agreed that the three events at May Memorial that center around Hunger and Homeless would be supported and promoted by the Social Justice Committee. The three principal events are: • The Samaritan Center meal preparation organized by Julie Daniel and Linda Wobus Members assisted in this program by preparing and serving the meal. • The continuing food basket collection for the South Beach Baptist Church The program continues with a collection basket in the church foyer with collected food items transferred to South Beach Baptist Church for distribution. • Involvement with a program to assist Plymouth Church's program for toiletries and personal care items not covered by food stamps. Plate collections of $315 from the March 12th Social Justice Sunday were dedicated to this project. SJC members Doris Sage, Vicky Schipper and Mary Zimmer shopped for specialty items, which were taken to Plymouth Church for distribution by members of their Social Justice Committee.

CONGREGATIONAL SUPPORT: The congregation of May as always stepped up in support of programs for the less fortunate among us, by giving not only their time and energy but money as well. • Social Justice Sunday was celebrated on March 12th . Committee members planned and conducted the service. The sermon, titled " Feeding Tribulations: Poverty, Hunger and Obesity" was presented by Val Episcopo, a registered dietitian and graduate student at SU. • March 26th was the annual service in celebration of Samuel May. This year the Worship Committee had arranged for David Kaczinski to deliver the sermon. The SJC partnered with the worship committee to host a luncheon in support David's organization, "New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty ." The luncheon raised $640 for this cause. David accepted on behalf of his organization and remarked that this was the largest amount contributed by any the churches where he had spoken. In addition a SJC table promoted post cards to be sent to members of the NYS legislature. Over 50 cards were signed and forwarded to appropriate legislators in Albany. Continued on 2nd page

Page 31 Social Justice Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Page 2 Of 3 • At our April 23`d service we were pleased to welcome to our pulpit the Rev. Margaret Hart. Rev Hart is the minister at the First Universalist Society of Central Square, NY. The Reverend spoke about the crisis in Darfur. After the service the Social Justice Committee collected over 50 post cards to be forwarded t the White House reminding President Bush that he had noted in the margin of a report on Darfur "not on my watch"

SJC SUPPORT OF STATE AND NATIONAL ISSUES: • An SJC forum was convened after church on November 4 to report on the congregational survey of social justice interests and to present briefings from individuals who had attended the General Assembly in June. Dan Sage called attention to a display of UUSC literature illustrating its various programs, including the Stop Torture project, on which an Action of Immediate Witness had been passed at GA.

• The Peace and Justice Weekend in Washington , September 24 - 26, which brought together an estimated 100,000, included speakers and workshops focused on UUSC's Stop Torture Now campaign, led by UUSC staff from both the Washington and the Cambridge offices. Doris and Dan Sage were among the 300 UUs in attendance. Monday was devoted to lobbying office staff members in both House and Senate regarding various legislative proposals supported by UUSC. We think our efforts contributed to the successful passage of the McCain amendment. • A letter to the editor at the Post Standard expressing repulsion toward government sanctioned torture of detained persons, signed by seven members of the SJC (as individuals, rather than the committee as a whole) was published in November2005. • For many years the SJC has partnered with RE to promote the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's Guest at your Table Program in support of advancing human rights world wide. This year the program raised $890 , which was forwarded to the Service Committee in Cambridge . Many thanks to Mary Zimmer for organizing this important program- • Disaster relief for hurricane Katrina victims totaled $200. In addition to sending money four of May's members traveled to New Orleans to give direct assistance to aid in the clean up. Janet Hiemstra, Kent Lindstrom, Lee Ann McKinney and Mardie Ninno were part of a group of 23 teachers and friends from central New York who traveled to New Orleans during the April spring break. The SJC was proud to support their actions with a small financial contribution. • On April 24`x' two members of the SJC Dan Sage and Harsey Leonard attended the Interfaith Impact Advocacy Day in Albany where they met with several members of the New York State legislature and presented position papers in support of several issues. They were well received and given adequate time for their full presentation.

Page 32 Social Justice Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Page 3 of 3 • On April 29s' MMUUS was well represented at the St. Lawrence District Annual Assembly. Four members of the SJC and several other members of the congregation joined with over 140 other delegates and friends to enjoy a full day of inspirational programs. Of special interest was the keynote address by Helio Fred Garcia titled "Words Matter". This was a special day of fellowship and great singing from the new hymnal. Planning is already underway for the 06-07 year to come and some exciting things are in the offing including the St. Lawrence District Social Justice conference to be held here in October. We look forward to serving together again and hope for new faces at our monthly meetings.

A few final words regarding the loyal, dedicated, hard working members of the Social Justice Committee and their work. Individually many of the members are working within the larger community to further issues important to people of faith. Whether marching in a gay pride parade, carrying signs in protest of war or other injustices, demonstrating against the School of Americas or attending long monthly SJC meetings , they may be recognized by their dedication to the principles of MMUUS as stated in our constitution, "To covenant and affirm, defend and promote the inherent dignity and worth of every person and the democratic process in all human relations."

Respectfully Submitted

Harsey Leonard, chair

Page 33 Stewardship Committee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Stewardship Report--2005-2006--Swimming To The Other Side

2005-2006 was the second year May Memorial has followed the stewardship model developed by Jerry King. This year, out of our congregation, more than 25% were actively involved in the campaign. The Team approach has really been embraced by May Memorial. Knowing that people all have different skills and interests, we found that dividing the threads of Stewardship among teams like Communication, Large Gift Giving, General Gift Giving, Coordination of Events, and Finance provided rich opportunities for people to be active in the Stewardship Campaign at a variety of comfort levels. This year more than 60 of us moved this process forward. Our goal was $225,000 to give us a balanced budget in this year of Search. We came in at approximately $205,000. As we swim together through the coming year, we anticipate welcoming a new Minister and helping this congregation become all it can be. We hope that deepening commitments by all of us will also bring our financial picture into balance by the time we achieve settlement. I especially wish to thank the selfless efforts of the Stewardship Cabinet: Alice Chico; Fred Fiske and his merry band of communication wizards-like Bob Schulz; Janet r Hiemstra, Mardie Ninno, Alexa Carter; Mariah Dillon with the help of Chris Shultz; Andrew Tripp, and,most especially, Malcolm Clark whose overview of the financial pieces helped us maintain clarity. There are many others, and I thank them all with great enthusiasm and warmth! Respectfully Submitted, Diane S. Hainsworth, Stewardship Chair

Page 34 Worship Commitee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Members of the Worship Committee this year are Alice Chico, chair, Fred Fiske, Doris Sage, Andy Tripp, Glenn Kime, Gerry Berkman, Mariah Dillon, Ann-Catherine Brown who recently joined, and Rev. John Marsh Ex Officio. Joyce Ball recently resigned after many years of service.

The Worship Committee continues to meet year round to support and create worship experiences at MMUUS. There was the usual mix of mostly lay-led services each Sunday during the summer. Our interim minister, Rev. John Marsh, offered one service, with a sermon entitled "Spending the Summer in the Basement." The Music and Arts committee supplied musicians for all services that requested musical support. Don MacKay and Diane Chappell-Daly made sure we had coffee each Sunday.

During the church year, we worked with Rev. Marsh to offer worship each Sunday. He coordinated with Jennifer Hamlin-Navias, our Director of Religious Education, to offer a story for all ages at each service, after which the children continued the tradition of carrying the flame from the "upstairs" chalice, to their worship service in the Creekside Chapel.

Rev. Marsh preached about three times a month , offering challenging sermons, as well as honoring "old favorites" and seasonal offerings. We again enjoyed celebrating Opening Sunday water communion, Memory Tree Sunday, two Music Sundays (winter and spring), two Christmas Eve services, Social Justice Sunday, Sam May Sunday, Teacher volunteer recognition service and a closing Sunday flower communion service. New members were welcomed during two services: spring, and fall.

Special worship included a 9/11 Remembrance prior to the regular opening service, a Solstice Celebration, a Christmas day intergenerational service at 4 PM in the foyer, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, and a Seder, the latter continuing a ten year tradition of offering a Seder jointly with First UU.

Guest speakers/preachers included Rev. Martha Munson, Rev. Richard Gilbert, Sister Barbara Moore, Rev. Alan Deale and Rev. Margaret Hart This year 's Sam May speaker was David Kaczynski, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty. In addition to offering a moving presentation during the service , Mr. Kaczynski hosted a forum about the death penalty. $641.00 was raised for his organization at a lunch offered between the service and the Forum.

Additionally, members of the Worship Committee hosted, either alone or with another committee, two light lunches and the light supper offered between the two Christmas Eve services.

Ongoing strugglestareas of concern include:

Page 35 Worship Commitee Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006 May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

1. Audio/visual issues including updating the sound and video recording abilities. Two new microphones (a wireless hand held, and a body mike) were purchased, and a request for sufficient funds to upgrade the system has been made for the next budget year. 2. Recruiting ushers, greeters and decorators 3. Exploring ways to raise lay voices within the Sunday Service. 4. More discussion about the nature of worship at MMUtJS

The Worship Committee's work for the next year will include continuing to support the minister in the crafting and presentation of Sunday services , leading and or supporting lay-led worship, working with our DRE to create more intergenerational worship opportunities, and beginning the conversation about the nature of worship and spirituality at MMUUS.

It has been a pleasure to work with Rev. John Marsh

Respectfully Submitted,

Alice Chico, Chair, r Worship Committee

Page 36 Installation of the Board of Trustees May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society June 4, 2006

Minister: We celebrate the election of a new Board of Trustees. We charge the members of our board and the members of our different committees to review and evaluate information, to set priorities, to make choices, to negotiate, compromise, and balance. The varieties of action they finally take reflect their individual understanding of our search for the real, the true, and the good. The privilege of installing the new board belongs only to those who are members in good standing of the society, although all present are invited to join in the final Amen. Will the members of the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society please rise and join in the words for the installation of this board. .

Congregation: To be a Trustee of the Board of our Society is both an honor and a responsibility. Do you, the elected Trustees of the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, accept your responsibility of leadership for our liberal religious community.?

Trustees: We do.

Congregation: Will you endeavor to make this society a place where we treat each other with respect and compassion?

Trustees: We will.

Congregation: In discharging your duties, will you be mindful that we cherish freedom, reason and tolerance, and that we hold a vision of the transforming power of liberal religion?

Trustees: We so promise. May we, who inherit the tradition of Trusteeship in this liberal congregation temper our vision of the future with the values of the past and guide this community with wisdom and compassion.

All: Amen

Page 37